Moonchild
by LadyDaisys
Summary: Mikazuki runs away from her miserable home life to find her mother. She is rescued by the Biker Mice. Can they help her find her mom? Find out
1. Chapter 1

MoonChild-Chapter 1

A midsummer night breeze blew through the cherry blossom trees adjoining the pagoda-shaped house. Mikazuki Yurimoto was standing in front of the kitchen sink gazing out the window. The full moon shone with a gossamer-like shimmer. She usually liked these nights but tonight she was sad. Her father had left Japan to go to the United States to conduct business or so he claimed. He'd promised to take her swimming. This was another promise he broke. Why shouldn't she be surprised? He'd been doing this since she came to live with him. She had been living in the U.S. with her mom after her parent's separation. During and after their divorce, they shared custody of her. Then one day, her father suggested a trip to Japan for two weeks. It during the last weeks of her summer vacation.  
He promised to have her back home to start school. Her mother at first refused to let her go but after Mikazuki begged her, she consented. Everything was fine till it came time to return her back. He refused. Mikazuki told her father her mother would miss her.  
She was told everything will be fine. Weeks went by. Then six months later, her father came home with a strange woman. He told Mikazuki, "Meet your new mother." She was had remarried a new woman. Mikazuki hated her from the start because she wasn't a nice person. If that wasn't bad enough, she brought her kid with her: A big, mean, conniving girl named Hebi. She had to share her room with Hebi. After that, things went downhill. Her father began neglecting her. She spent much of her time alone reading and going to school. She often asked him about her mom and he told her to stop thinking about her and to shut up. For two years, she hadn't seen her mom. She wouldn't stop thinking about her mom. She wondered why she hadn't come for her or tried to contact her. A sound interrupted her thoughts. She just dropped one of her stepmother's plates on the floor. Before she could do anything, she was struck across the face. Slap!

"Stupid and clumsy girl!"A voice shouted in Japanese,"Look what you did!"  
Her stepsister, Hebi was standing over her with her fists balled.  
Mikazuki tried to get up. Hebi put her foot on the girl's back and shoved her back to the floor.  
"You don't have any right to touch our things."  
"That's my mother's china." Mikazuki replied, in Japanese.  
"That was. Now it belongs to us." Mikazuki looked over her shoulder to see Hebi getting ready to hit her again when she slid her foot quickly under Hebi getting her off guard and tripping her. Hebi went to grab her by the hair when Mikazuki punched her in the nose. Hebi hollered in pain.  
"What's going on?" Her stepmother asked, coming into the room.  
"She hit me!"Hebi cried, holding her nose, which began to bleed.  
"Leave my child alone!" The stepmother exclaimed in Japanese, comforting Hebi.

"She hit me first!"Mikazuki blurted out.  
"Don't you lie, brat! My sweet Hebi would never do that!" Her stepmother replied. Hebi was a spoiled brat and she knew it. "Clean up this mess and then go to your room! You shall have no supper!" Her stepmother said, pointing to the broken plate.  
"I haven't had any lunch or supper."Mikazuki replied, in a low voice.  
"All the better. You should've thought about that before you struck my child."  
Her stepmother and stepsister went into the living room. Mikazuki went to the small closet to pull out the broom and dustpan. She began sweeping up the broken pieces of the dish. She soon heard the tv in the other room. A movie was on and she heard laughter. Mikazuki was angry. They didn't have any right to treat her like this. She was also mad at her father. It seemed like he didn't care about her anymore.

"It was different when I lived with my mom. She was always nice to me. Why didn't she come for me?"Mikazuki thought, as she swept. She knew she still lived in the United States. She remembered it was in Washington, D.C.  
"If I went there, I'd be with my mom. I'd be with someone that loved me. My dad could care less and my stepmom hates me." Mikazuki murmured. She untied her apron and pushed the broom against the wall. She went through the side door and out the kitchen. She tiptoed towards the stairs.  
She looked out of the corner of her eye and saw her stepmother and stepsister sitting on the couch with their backs to her watching a movie and laughing.  
So far so good. She went up the stairs and walk across the hall to her room. She lifted the carpet up in a corner of the room. The floor underneath was made of thick wooden planks. She took one out. Underneath was a small metal box. She picked the box up to reveal a key. She grabbed the key and unlocked the box. Inside was her passport and allowance money she saved. She grabbed those and put them in her pocket. She then carefully put the plank back and covered the carpet back. She went to her closet and pulled out a duffle bag. After opening a drawer, she filled the duffel bag with a few clothes and her toothbrush. She then grabbed her bag and walked down the stairs taking care not to make any sound. Her stepmother and stepsister were still watching tv. She opened the front door and went out. She then sprinted down the sidewalk making her way to the airport. She went to the ticket booth.  
"I'd like a ticket for a flight going to Washington D.C., please." She told lady behind the counter.  
"The woman checked the flights on her computer. Then glanced at Mikazuki.  
"There's one leaving in ten minutes at gate fifteen."

"I'll take it."  
Mikazuki handed her money for her ticket when she handed it back to Mikazuki.  
"I'm sorry you don't have enough."  
"I have to go." Mikazuki wailed.  
Mikazuki then snatched the ticket in the woman's hand and ran off.  
"Hey, come back!" the woman yelled, "Stop her, somebody!"  
Mikazuki was soon chased by the woman and several guards. She duck in thick crowds and lost her pursuers. Mikazuki found herself on the runway. She was hiding behind one of the planes when she saw an employee had accidentally left one of the cargo holds opened. Mikazuki ran there and climbed up into the hold. The plane was now taking beginning to race down the runway. Mikazuki crawled back to the opening but it suddenly snapped shut.  
She was trapped inside. She tried not to panic. Her mother always told her to remain calm. She looked out a small window and saw the plane lifting off from the ground. The airport became smaller and smaller till it was just a dot. She couldn't believe it. It was leaving Japan. She was leaving her miserable home life behind. She felt joy flood her soul. She looked around and saw she was in the part of the plane that housed the passengers' pets.  
The stewardess announced the first call for dinner. Mikazuki felt her own stomach grumbling. It was past dinnertime and it never occurred to her to buy a snack while she was at the airport. With no dinner, she decided to just sleep her hunger off. Next to a small stable which housed a pony was a pile of hay. She took it and laid down. The hay was uncomfortable at first since it stuck her many times till she laid her sweater over it. Soon, she was fast asleep. She was awakened the next morning by the captain's voice. He said they had landed in the United States. Mikazuki was overjoyed. She made it. Now she would find her mom and everything would be okay. She looked out the window and saw the runway and the airport. She heard the cargo hold getting ready to open. She hid in the shadows. An employee had climbed up to retrieve a passenger's dog carrier. While he was occupied, Mikazuki snuck over to the opened plane and jumped down to the ground. "Who's there?" He asked in English.

Then seeing Mikazuki, "Hey! You!"  
Mikazuki took off like a shot. The employee gave chase. Mikazuki ran through crowds in the airport and across the street.  
"Stop!"The man yelled, "Watch out! That's a busy street!"  
Mikazuki kept running then collapsed on the street. An oncoming car was approaching fast. Mikazuki looked up and her face paled. Suddenly, two large hairy arms grabbed her and pulled her out of the path of the car. Mikazuki felt herself being lifted through the air. "It's okay. You're safe." A gentle voice said. Mikazuki saw three bikers on motorcycles. She couldn't see their faces because they wore helmets.  
The one that held her was larger in size than the other two.  
They soon landed on the ground. She felt her eyes closing. Between her fight with Hebi and not eating since yesterday took a toll on her body.  
She was slipping out of consciousness. Someone lifted her up. In spite of being unconscious, she heard English voices: one of them sounded like a woman's.  
"My God! Is she alright?" The woman was saying.  
"We don't know. We just saved her from getting hit by a car."said a male voice.  
"Poor kid."said another male voice.  
"Quick! Get her inside."said the woman.  
"Don't worry. We're going to help you. You'll be alright." said another voice to Mikazuki.  
Mikazuki didn't understand their language but welcomed the darkness that swirled into her consciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

New Surroundings

When Mikazuki finally awoke she opened her eyes and looked around. She remembered she wasn't at home. She was laying on a sofa in a small living room of some sort. Someone covered her with a blanket.  
"Great. You're awake."said a voice. She glanced in the direction of the voice and gasped. There standing before her was a giant white mouse. A metal mask covered half of his face. Mikazuki got up and backed up against the wall of the room. Hebi used to torment her by putting dead rats in her bed. She couldn't stand them and now grew frightened at seeing this mouse. Her eyes got even wider when two more mice walked into the room: A caramel-colored mouse with black-rimmed sunglasses and a tall grey mouse with a bionic arm of some kind. All three of them were dressed in biker clothes. Mikazuki couldn't believe this was happening. She did the only logical thing she could think of. "AAAAAAAAH!"she screamed.  
"Whoa! Whoa! It's okay." The caramel-colored mouse said, trying to calm her down.

An auburn-haired woman soon entered the room and took her by the shoulders to sooth her. "It's okay, sweetie, they won't hurt you."  
Mikazuki stopped screaming and looked at the woman who was very pretty like her mother.  
"W-Where am I? Who are you?" She asked in Japanese.  
"Guys, she's speaking Japanese." The woman told the three mice.  
"You understand her?" The white mouse asked.  
"I think so. I lived in Japan for a while before I opened the Last Chance garage. Let's see if I remember some of the Japanese I studied."  
She then began to speak back to the child in fluent Japanese. The mice's mouths dropped open in surprise. "You're at the Last Chance. I'm Charley and these are my friends: The mouse with the glasses is Throttle, The white mouse is Vinnie, and the big guy that saved you before from getting hit by a car is Modo."  
"Throttle...Vinnie...Modo?"The child faltered. The mice smiled warmly and nodded at hearing their names.  
Mikazuki glanced back at Charley and spoke back in Japanese.  
"What's she saying, Miss Charley?" Modo asked.  
"She says her name is Mikazuki and she's from Japan."  
"Is Japan a planet?" Vinnie asked.  
"No, Japan on the other side of the world."  
"'Wonder what's she doing here in Chicago?" Throttle wondered.  
"You're a long way from home."Charley told her.  
Mikazuki decided to keep quiet. She wasn't about to tell them she ran away.  
She learned she couldn't trust anyone.  
"I like the city. I heard Washington, D.C. is very nice." She smiled.  
"This isn't Washington. You're in Chicago, Illinois."  
Charley saw her face change. Mikazuki realized she had got on the wrong plane! That stupid ticketseller! If she hadn't chased her, she would've been to Washington and to her mom by now. "Now what do I do?"she said, outloud looking away.  
"About what?"Charley asked, then looked at her closely, "Are you in some kind of trouble?" "Of course not." she lied, looking away.  
"Well, thank you for helping me." she said, getting up then feeling weak sat back down.  
"Is she alright?" Throttle asked.  
"Mikazuki?" Charley questioned.  
"I'm alright, Charley."she replied.  
"When's the last time you ate something?"  
"A while."  
"Wait here. I'll bring it to you."  
Mikazuki's stomach grumbled. She looked down.  
"Well, I could do with a little something."  
Mikazuki felt weak again.  
"Sit back down. I'll bring it to you."  
In a little while, Charley came out with a bowl of chicken soup and a ham sandwich. "Know any English?" Charley asked her while she ate.  
"I used to speak English when I lived with my mom."She said, between bites of sandwich.  
"Oh, does she live in Japan?"  
"She used to but not now. She lives in the States. In Washington."she replied, then caught herself as she got up quickly, "I have to go."  
"You're in no condition to go out there. You're still sick."  
"I'm not sick! I'm-"Her knees began buckling as she was about to fall when Throttle caught her before she hit the floor.  
"We can help you, Mikazuki, you have to let us."Charley said.  
"H-How c-can I t-trust you or anyone?"  
"You're going to have to. Please."  
"Alright."  
Throttle picked her up laid her on the couch while Modo covered her back with the blanket. "Get some rest, honey. We'll check up on you later." he smiled at the child. The mice and Charley then left the room. Mikazuki wanted to trust them but she had been hurt too many times by other people. She knew her mom would never hurt her. She would love her no matter what. Once she felt better, she was going to find her mom. She felt her eyes closing as she drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Searching

Sakura Ono sprinted up the steps of the law firm of Hollis & Webber. She had been seeing her lawyer for the past two years. She hoped today would be the day she hears good news about her case. These past few years hadn't been easy ones for her. Her divorce had been messy plus having to move from one state to another was very difficult. It left her emotionally as well as financially drained. Her ex-husband had been the main provider. Now with him gone, she struggled to survive. They also fought for custody of their daughter. They agreed on joint-custody till he ran off with the child. It was during a visitation. He took her off to Japan promising to return her back in time for the start of school. Sakura waited and waited at the airport in D.C. and he never returned. She panicked and took a plane to Tokyo where he lived. When she got to his apartment, it was empty. She found out from the landlord he moved out the day before. He left no forwarding address.  
She went to the local police and was told he was her father and he could take his child where he wanted. They refused to help her.  
Brokenhearted and near broke, she got on a flight back to Washington. After that, it was one dead-end job after another till she enrolled in a two-year program at the Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. She earned her degree and got an internship at a signature restaurant as a sous chef. She excelled at that position and was happy at her job. During the day, she had a smile on her face but when she went home in her small lonely apartment, she would cry. Her child was gone: taken by her ex and there wasn't a thing she could do about it. He had more money than she did. He earned more. What could she do? She dried her tears and made a promise to herself.  
She was going to do what she had to do to get her daughter back. She had to leave D.C. It had too many painful memories. She had to get away.  
She learned and studied everything about running a business. Then she moved away from D.C. to Chicago, Illinois and opened up her own restaurant from money she borrowed from family members. With the money she earned from the restaurant, she was able to afford one of the best lawyers in Chicago.  
One of the patrons told her about Hollis & Webber. They were the best.  
She contacted them and told them her story. They agreed to work on the case. She hadn't heard anything till her lawyer called her this morning.  
"Thanks for coming, Sakura." Frank Hollis said, shaking hands with her as she entered his office then motioning her to a chair next to his desk.  
"What do you have for me, Frank?" She asked. After working together for two years, they were on a first-name basis with each other. "We found out where your ex lives. He has a house in Osaka, Japan. Here's the address." he replied, handing her a sheet of paper.  
Sakura's hands shook as she took it. She was finally going to get her daughter back.  
"I have to go there! Now! Today!" She exclaimed.  
"Whoa! Now hold your horses. We already went there and all we found were your ex's new wife and her daughter. They claimed they never saw the girl."  
"They're lying! Something's happened to Zuki. I'm sure of it."  
"Well, when we probed them further, the stepmother finally admitted the child ran away last night and they haven't seen her since. We checked hospitals, police stations, bus stations, train stations, but no one has seen her. We did find out the local airport is a few blocks from the house."  
"She could've gotten on a flight. Maybe she's in the States. If that's the case, we have to find out where she is."  
"Maybe, but it's unlikely. Eleven-year olds normally don't have a lot of money especially for an airline ticket."  
"Then where is she?"

Meanwhile at the Last Chance garage two weeks went by and Mikazuki's health improved rapidly. By the end of the third week, she was walking and standing without any pain or weakness. With Charley's help and assistance, she began picking her English back up. She was now called Zuki. They asked her if she minded if they called her that since Mikazuki was a mouthful. Her mother used to call her that so she told them she didn't mind. The mice came by the garage everyday to see how she was doing. They spoke English to her and she spoke it back as fluently as they did. She grew to like them as much as Charley did. She even lost her fear of them. She sometimes forgot they were mice. They acted so much like human guys. Then one morning, she left. The mice and Charley grew worried. The mean streets of Chicago were no place for anyone let alone a kid.  
They went after her and soon saw a familiar lone figure carrying a duffle bag walking quickly down the road.  
"Zuki!" Throttle called out. Zuki walked faster. The mice began pursuing her. She began to run. She ran through a cornfield. They followed her.  
"Zuki! Zuki!" Modo called out.  
"No! Leave me alone!"she cried out, continuing to run away.  
"Why are you running, Zuki?"  
"Stay away!"she cried, then fell down. Modo reached down and picked her up. She soon clung to his neck burying her face in his shoulder crying.  
"I wanna find my mom!"she sobbed.

"It's okay." Modo said, in a soft voice, holding the child. He felt bad. They all did.

"We'll help you find your mom."Throttle said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She turned away from Modo.  
"I'm alright now."she said, drying her tears.  
"Tell us everything from the beginning and we can help you." Charley told her.

Zuki took a deep breath before she answered.

"I ran away from home a few weeks ago and I'm not going back." Everyone was shocked. Zuki walked a few inches away from them.

"It was bad there. My dad...he didn't care about me. He took me away from my mom. That was two years ago."

"What do you mean? He kidnapped you?" Throttle asked.

"My parents got a divorce and my mom sent me to visit my dad. He took me to Japan and I never saw my mom again."

"My God! I can't imagine being separated from my parents for that long."Charley replied.

"That's why I left. He married this new woman and told me she was my new mother. She hated me. I know

if I lived with my mom, it'd be different. She loved me no matter what. That's why I've got to see her. I miss

her so much!" Zuki could feel the tears welling up again.

"We'll help you find her."Modo said.

"We sure will." Charley said.

"Question is, where do we start?" Vinnie asked.

"When I lived with my mom, we lived in Spokane, Washington."

Throttle whistled.

"Looks like we're taking a road trip, brothers and sisters."


	4. Chapter 4

Zuki Finds Her Mom

Sakura left her lawyer's office dejected but certainly not defeated. She was going to find her daughter even if she had to go through all fifty states. When she was handed the current address of her ex-husband, it tightened her resolve to find her daughter. She made the suggestion that maybe she was in the States, but he told her that it wasn't possible for a kid to board a commercial plane without the airline's knowledge. She listened at first but she couldn't shake the thought that maybe she was in the U.S. "But where?" She thought as she drove to her restaurant. The small bistro she worked hard to build was in view as she pulled into the parking lot. She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice the black limo sitting in the parking lot next to a large white van. She got out of her car and put the key in the lock and went inside. She then put on the light and stepped into the dining area. She gasped. Sitting down were a dozen or more men dressed like dirty, unkempt bikers. "Welcome home, Ms. Ono. I've been expecting you."said a voice. Sakura looked to see an overweight man in a loud purple suit approach. "Lawrence Limburger? What are you doing here?"She asked.  
"Why to buy your land, of course."Limburger smiled, fiendishly.  
"I'm going to tell you what I told you last month: It's not for sale. Now get out of my restaurant before I call the police!"She replied,  
glaring at him. "Oh, I don't think you will."He replied, looking over at Greasepit who held up a smashed telephone.  
"You should know, dear lady, I don't take rejection easy."He chuckled, then to his goons, "Smash this place to bits!"  
The goons began turning over tables and smashing vases. "Stop!" Sakura cried out.  
She ran to stop them from tearing her place apart when Greasepit grabbed her. She wriggled in his arms struggling to get free.  
"No!" Sakura cried out, watching the goons tear up chairs and breaking out windows.

Meanwhile the Biker Mice, Charley, and Zuki were riding through on their way to the Last Chance garage to pack a few things when they heard screaming.  
"It's coming from there!"Charley said, pointing out the small Japanese-American restaurant on the corner. They saw a chair fly out a broken window.  
"Bros, check it out! Isn't that stinkfish's limo parked outside that restaurant?"Vinnie asked, pointing to the black limo.  
"Limburger! Shoulda known he wouldn't stay quiet for long."Throttle said, clenching his fists.  
"You know he's up to no good."Modo replied, angrily.  
"Look after Zuki, Charley-girl." Throttle told her. The mice rode towards the restaurant.

Sakura was beyond upset. She watched helplessly as her life's work was being destroyed. Another goon had picked up a glass tray and was about to throw it to the ground when it was snatched out of his hand by a mouse's tail. "Hey, why don't you leave this place alone?"Vinnie said, as he carefully put the tray down on a table he'd just turned right side up.  
"And try tangling with us?"Throttle said, aiming his blaster at the goons. Modo aimed his bionic arm at them, too. "Annihilate that vermin!"Limburger screamed. The goons were about to fire at the mice when they were quickly disarmed them by the mice who shot their blasters out of their hands. They got scared and ran off. "Come back, you idiots!"Limburger called after them. "Give it up, hallibutt! You've lost!"Throttle retorted, aiming his blaster at Limburger. "I beg to differ." Limburger said, as he motioned towards Greasepit who held Sakura in his grasp, who continued squirming.  
"Let the lady go, Greasegut!" Throttle said. "Whose gonna make me?" He countered. Suddenly, a laser cannon shot a hole behind him. Everyone looked in the direction of the blast. Charley had just fired a laser cannon at Greasepit.  
"You heard the mouse."Charley told Greasepit, who gingerly released her as she backed away from them. Zuki looked at the woman's face and her eyes grew wide. "Mommy!" she cried, running to her. "Zuki?"Sakura cried out, then her face broke out into a smile. The child was running to her mother when Limburger grabbed her.  
"Let me go!" She screamed.  
"Zuki!" Charley cried. The mice hesitated. "Don't come any closer." Limburger said. Zuki continued to struggle.  
"Stop struggling, brat! Those moldy mice won't stop me as long as I have you."  
"Let my daughter go, you reeking pile of filth!" Sakura said angrily. Then she kicked him in his left shin.  
"OWWWWWWW!"He yelled, hopping up and down. Greasepit grabbed Limburger and ran out towards the limo. The limo then took off. "Never mess with a mother especially if she has on stillettos!" Sakura called after them.  
"Mommy!"Zuki cried, running to her mother.  
"Zuki! My Zuki!"She cried, hugging her daughter.

"Oh, thank you for finding my little girl, kind sirs and ma'am." She said to the Biker Mice and Charley.

"They won't bother you again, ma'am. My bros and I will see to that." Modo replied. "Why were they bothering you to begin with?" Throttle asked. "Limburger's been trying to get me to sell him my restaurant for the past month. He wants the land it sits on." Sakura replied.  
"He's been trying to buy up this whole neighborhood. He tried to force me to sell him my repair shop so I understand."  
Charley said.  
"I don't know how I'm going to open up my restaurant now. His gang tore my place apart."Sakura replied, looking around sadly and surveying the damage.  
"My friends can help you. Won't you?" Zuki replied, turning to Charley and the mice who nodded.  
The mice then began picking tables up and putting them right side up. They also examined the chairs and threw out the ones they couldn't repair. Charley, Zuki, and Sakura swept up broken vases and dishes. After two hours of cleanup, they got the restaurant in order for Sakura to open it up for the night time dinner crowd.

"Thanks again, you guys." Zuki said, hugging her mom. The restaurant closed up for the night and the mice were packing up to go back to the Scoreboard.

"Bye, Zuki."Charley said.

"Ride free, citizens!" The mice replied, riding off waving in good-bye. Zuki and her mom watched them go smiling and waving in return.


End file.
